Roll The Dice - A Las Vegas Dynasty

[Jogo]

December 31st

Booker being sidelined 8 weeks due to injury, really hurt our game. We dropped to a 16-21 record and were tumbling towards the bottom of the standings. We had to find ways to adjust.

Our points came from a surprising angle. Our newly acquired youngster, Ante Zizic, caught fire out of nowhere to prove all the haters wrong (Looking at you there, Trekfan ). He was our top scorer at the half whilst also cleaning up the boards and blocking shots.

Dragen Bender best be worried, because he is being outplayed by Zizic of late. It seemed he took notice right away. Zizic’s antics were infectious and carried over to Bender when he walked on the court. All of a sudden, Bender started hitting threes and fill his stat sheet.

It was a battle of the bigs down low. Unfortunately, the Sixers came out victorious. They got hot and ran away after halftime.

They were the better team, plain and simple. But seeing our young bigs live up to the challenge was a good takeaway for the future.

Around the league:

Timberwolves' season cursed? Following KAT, Wiggins now also out 3 months w/ broken ankle

BREAKING: Pelicans' A. Davis sidelined 4-6 months with spinal injury. Team's play-off chances in jeopardy?

[trekfan]

Okay, Zizic had a good game. Limited minutes, but a good showing ... let's see how he does as the season progresses. I feel Bender is the better big long-term, though.

[Jogo]

Quote: Originally Posted by trekfan

Okay, Zizic had a good game. Limited minutes, but a good showing ... let's see how he does as the season progresses. I feel Bender is the better big long-term, though.

Hehe, I'm just trolling I don't know how to feel about Bender at this point. But if he can become consistent shooting those 3's, he could serve as a great weapon at the 5 down the road!

[Jogo]

Mid Season Recap

As we’re nearing the All-Star break and trade deadline, the season’s main storylines are starting to unfold. Let’s have a quick recap of what’s been going on so far.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

The Rockets, Warriors, Spurs and Thunder all find themselves atop the Western Conference. No real surprises there. If they can all stay healthy, we could see an exciting battle for the finals in june. The Warriors are still favourites, but it won’t come easy for them.

The Jazz find themselves in 5th place and still look like a very strong team, even with Hayward gone. The Blazers have done a lot better than most expected and follow in 6th place.

After that, it’s anyone’s game really.

The Wolves are currently 7th, but KAT will likely miss the entire regular season and Wiggins is out a few months as well. Do they have enough key players left to hang in there and stay to course for that play-off spot they so dearly desire?

Meanwhile, the Pelicans’ season is rapidly spiraling out of control. They’ve dropped down from 4th seed to 8th after losing their main superstar Anthony Davis to a season-ending injury, and their future doesn’t look much brighter. Solomon Hill is sidelined with injury as well and will definitely leave them scarred at their already lacking SF position.

The Pelicans’ play-off hopes are hanging in the balance and with AD gone, the same can be said for their Fire & Ice experiment. With big man Demarcus Cousins set to become an unrestriced free agent this summer, the question is: do they hang on to him and risk losing him for nothing after this season? Or do they make a move and try to get some value in return for him? A trade may be looming on the horizon, if not imminent at this point.

With Minnessota and New Orleans both in trouble, the play-off race in the West is wide open. The Grizzlies, Clippers, Nuggets and who knows even the Mavs, Lakers or Las Vegas could all still make a run for that final play-off spot. Do any of those teams make a splash before the trade deadline? Or have they already initiated tank mode and further race to the bottom?

EASTERN CONFERENCE

The East is pretty entertaining so far. While nothing compared to the madhouse that is the West, injuries have seriously shaken up the hierarchy of the conference.

The Cavs, Raptors, Wizards and Bucks are no strangers to the top of the standings. But there’s some surprise. The Sixers - yes, you read that right, the Sixers!! - have been outperforming all expectations and remained healthy all season. They climbed up the rankings and find themselves contending for the number 1 seed even!

Then there’s the Knicks who are currently ranked 6th. How? Nobody knows! Let’s see where that goes …

The Celtics have been somewhat of a disappointment so far. The Kyrie injury probably had a lot to do with that. But there’s still plenty of time to fix that. They are battling it out with Miami, Detroit, Indiana and Charlotte for the final play-off spots.

Down in the G-League, the Bulls, Magic, Hawks and Nets are having a fierce competition for this year's lottery picks.

[Jogo]

January 11th 2018

Add another one to the L-column.

Pretty solid contribution once again from our younger core, but the Bucks were just in a league of their own. Their teamplay and chemistry is on contender level. Ours simply wasn't.

More and more, it's becoming abundantly clear we are still far removed from competing at this level of play.

The road ahead is long. But every losing experience is one we need to better ourselves down the road.

Around the league:

ROY candidate Lonzo Ball breaks arm. Out 2-4 months in first NBA season.

Jazz swap Alec Burks for Indiana's Lance Stephenson

[Jogo]

The Bigger Scheme

January 11th 2018 - Las Vegas, Nevada

Viktor Belinsky was hard at work this late in the evening. But even when he was too busy to attend games, Vik always watched his team play on the big screen against the wall in his office. He saw them put up a fairly decent fight against a stronger, cohesive Bucks squad. They weren’t too bad, he thought, though something troubled his mind ...

He pulled out his phone. Rebecca, Vik’s personal assistant, answered him.

“Rebecca, schedule a meeting with Carter for me please. And have coach Watson join us in my office after tonight’s game.”



Later that night ...



"Come in Earl. Please, have a seat", Dice Owner Viktor Belinsky welcomed coach Watson. “You’re not going to like what I have to say”.

Watson took a chair and joined Belinsky and Dice General Manager Michael Carter for the meeting.

"Uhm ... Am I in trouble?", he chuckled somewhat nervous.

Not yet, Vik thought to himself.

"It's Bledsoe, Earl. He has to go", Vik said calmly.

"W.. What?! Why? That's absurd!"

Coach Watson couldn't believe What he just heard.

"Let’s be real, Earl. I know how high you are on the guy, but we've got no use for him here", Michael Carter intervened.

"Be real? How’s that? The guy's ranking 8th in All Star voting. IN THE WEST, for crying out loud! He's been playing some of the best ball in his life!", Earl stated in sheer frustration.

"That's exactly it, Earl. His value is peaking. Teams are reaching out, showing interest. We have to move him now and cash in, before it's too late", Vik replied calmly.

"Moving him now will really hurt our season, Vik. Eric's what drives this team! I know we've had some rough games, but we’ve got good chemistry going. With the Wolves' and Pelicans’ season falling to pieces, the 8th spot is right there for the taking! Memphis is struggling, the Lakers aren't as good as we expected, and I’m positive we can take Denver. With a bit of luck, we could be back in the play-offs as soon as this year! Give the fans what they want!", Watson argued.

"And then what? To get our asses kicked in the first round?!", Vik raised his voice.


"Look Earl, I don't know If you noticed, but there's these guys called the ‘Warriors', and those dudes can ball! They’re pretty bad ***, frankly. We're not winning anything as long as they're around and healthy. No, we stay put. We play the waiting game, build a strong foundation and make smart moves. It's like a chess game, Earl. Do you ever play chess?”

“Well yes, I … I …”

Vik didn’t even let him finish.

“The setup is the most important thing. You move the right pieces, stay patient and then, when the time is right, you strike. Fierce and relentless. That's how you win it all. But in order to get there, you have to make some sacrifices along the way. They may seem like some big losses at first, but really it's all just part of the bigger scheme.”

“Look, I don't care about the play-offs. I’m going for the big prize. You see that empty shelf behind my desk ...? I want that trophy! And not just one either. Winners come and go, Earl. But dynasties, legacies, ... They last forever."

Watson was left speechless. He let it sink in for a moment.

“I think you’re making a mistake here, Vik”.
He stood up and walked out of the room.

"He didn't take that too well, huh?", Carter said to Belinsky.

"Oh he's a goner too, Carter. He just doesn't know yet. He’s just a pawn we use to put everything in place, until things get serious”, Vik replied unfazed. “Start taking calls for Bledsoe, see what we can get for him. I trust you’ll pull the trigger at the right time”.

“Consider it done, chief!”

[trekfan]

Yeah, that's some cold calculation by Vik there, but I agree with him -- sell high, sell while you have the leverage. The 8th seed and a *ss kicking by the Warriors isn't going to do much. You really should be aiming for a 6th seed or higher, things can tip in your favor there even as the lower seed -- and you're definitely not there yet.

Gonna be interesting to see who you hire to eventually replace Watson.

[Jogo]

BREAKING: Dice trade Bledsoe to Denver for Mudiay, 1st Rounder

The first big name trade of the season is official. Las Vegas Dice agreed to a deal that will send star point guard Eric Bledsoe and Derrick Jones Jr. to the Denver Nuggets for Emmanuel Mudiay, Darell Arthur and the Nuggets’ 2018 1st round pick.


Trade Grade:

Denver Nuggets: A
At first sight, it seems Denver comes out the winner of this trade. They’ve long been in need of a consistent point guard that can lead them to the promised land, and get exactly that in Bledsoe. D. Jones Jr gives them a young wing with a lot of upside to strengthen their depth at the SF.


Las Vegas Dice: B-
For the Dice, this is a bit of a gamble (how fitting). While the return for a proven star guard like Bledsoe might be a bit low, it’s hard to expect anything more in a point guard saturated league like today’s NBA. Denver ultimately had the right trade package in return for Vegas’ situation.

Mudiay, while still a raw project with a lot of question marks, gives them a young point guard with good potential that better fits their timeline. Mudiay struggled to really find his role and establish himself as a starter in Denver. Surrounded by a younger core and more minutes, he might develop into a valuable asset for Vegas.

Obviously, the 1st round pick is a big time bonus and gives the Dice at least 3 first round selections in this year’s promising draft. D. Arthur was thrown in merely for salary matching purposes, but is expected to be waived by tomorrow.